1. Mysterious Skin (2004)
It's difficult to pick a #1 spot given how many great performances the actor has already given despite his young age, but nothing really approaches the sheer dedication and courage required for his performance as Neil McCormick in
Mysterious Skin. He and Brady Corbet play young men who, as children, suffered sexual abuse from a football coach, and the film observes how this changed their life trajectories. Neil is now a prostitute on the streets of New York City, and Gordon-Levitt is therefore tasked with performing a number of extremely uncomfortable scenes in which he is utilised as an object more than as a person. It serves as a stirring depiction of the effects of child abuse, and both central performances are exceptionally brave, though Gordon-Levitt takes the brunt of the depravity, as he is repeatedly shamed and abused by the men he goes home with. The intense nature of the material combined with his performance makes this a difficult film to shake, even several years after you watch it. Writer-director Gregg Araki - who is best known for his more outrageous, stylistically flagrant films - reins in his style perfectly for what is a sensitive, if hard-nosed examination of the damaging effects of an improper childhood. That said, those who are more initiated with the actor's lighter, more quirky films - like 10 Things I Hate About You and (500) Days of Summer - are likely to find this a tough sit, and so should be warned beforehand. It's been an excellent decade for the actor, proving time and time again that he is not merely a reliable presence in popular Hollywood fare, but an extremely dedicated performer in whatever he makes. With so many promising projects around the corner, one can imagine this list will be changing very soon, and if he continues to make smart choices, then an Academy Award might not be too far off for the brilliant young actor either.
Premium Rush is in cinemas this Friday.